Rosetta grazier Gavin Scott offloads a record 1005 head at CQLX

Gavin Scott, Rosetta Grazing, Collinsville, offloaded an impressive draft of Brahman weaners which averaged 279c/kg to return $1460/head.

The lead pen of weaner steers reached 522c/kg, while the top pen from the 500 head of weaner heifers made 436c/kg and weighed 248kg to return $1083/head.

Rosetta Grazing run an operation of more than 13,000 breeders and their progeny and Mr Scott said dry conditions and market trends drove him to the saleyards.

"It's pretty dry here at the moment and we missed all the storms, they've been around but you've got to be lucky to get under them," Mr Scott said.

"The last three years have been the driest we've had, our average rainfall is supposed to be 24 inches and we've had 14 inches this year, previous years have been seven and eight inches.

"We haven't got many options left, we can sort of keep feeding them but they're better off going to the sales and so we thought we'll put them in the sale because the markets are pretty strong.

"We've got some more heifers for this Wednesday's sale and later on we'll probably try and get rid of another 2000 and just keep sending a few into the sales as we try to wean and muster to get them ready to go in."

Julian Laver, Nutrien Ag Solutions Rockhampton, said Mr Scott was a well-established producer who turns over plenty of young cattle each year, which are highly sought after.

"Nearly all the weaner steers in this run were bought by one buyer, who was a local restocker," Mr Laver said.

Overall, rain reduced the total yarding at CQLX to 2752, with cattle being drawn from Dingo, Marlborough, Mackay and the local area.

Mr Laver predicted a trend of vendors selling larger lines of cattle could develop at CQLX given the strong prices.

"Good quality cattle sold extremely well throughout the sale," Mr Laver said.

"We have had some good rain here in the local CQLX catchment area in the last week, which might steady a few up for selling locally, but while the money is around I think more will be drawn to the sale."

In October, Mr Scott broke the CQLX saleyard record, after purchasing Steve and Theresa Taylor's Clukan Baobab 365/8 for $210,000 on day one of Brahman Week 2020 in a joint partnership with Owen Scott, Ruan Grazing, Clermont.

"He's still at the semen collector but he's coming home this week," Mr Scott said.

"We need around 60 to 80 bulls a year and we've been trying to breed our own bulls and that's like a hobby for us too where we can make money out of it for ourselves.

"We're trying to build a 2000 head feedlot at the moment, so we can sort of market our cattle, well after the weather and past December.

"In previous years, we couldn't market them because we haven't been getting any rain, it's been dry for the last six or eight years, so we decided to build a feedlot to improve their conditions.

"We haven't got it up and running yet, we're just about there so we're hoping we can get it done by the end of the year."

Mr Scott remembers a period back in 2006 when he sold heifers for a gut-wrenching 65c/kg in Clermont.

"The market just got worse and worse, the seasons weren't too bad it was just there was no money around," Mr Scott said.

"It just shows you the good and bad and to get to this point to get that money what we did it's a bit of luck and everything's going our way at the moment.

"I don't think we can sustain the price up that high because there is only one way it can go, but I don't want to see anyone get burned, at the end of the day we've got to stay in the industry.

"That's why the market's good, there's not enough cattle and the drought's proved that down south, they are up here buying them.

"Graziers are very confident when they get a bit of rain, there's rain all around Rocky.

"Very confident people as soon as they get rain they'll spend money, it's a great industry to be in, you get good times and hard times."